Raucous coming-of-age story SHOOBS receives its world debut at the prestigious BFI Flare Festival.
Premiering at Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ film festival BFI Flare on Sunday 23rd March 2025, Shoobs is part of a new anthology of five short films from Open Sky, entitled MicroPlays: Identity. Conceived to help theatre creatives transition into filmmaking, five writers were asked to explore the question of what makes us who we are. The answer from Janet Etuk (A Streetcar Named Desire, The Almeida 2025; Princess Essex, Rough Magic, Shakespeare’s Globe; The Box Of Delights, RSC) is new comedy drama, Shoobs, which navigates themes of love, regret and sexuality, all set to a floor-filler original score.
This modern coming-of-age story is set in the epic mess of a teenage house party in the early noughties in South London. Lisa Jnr, played by Taneetrah Porter, is being advised on how to navigate her feelings for Jada, (Vigs Otite) and Blazer (Bunmi Osadolor) by Janet Etuk’s character Lisa Snr. With an original wine and grind noughties vibe soundtrack, cheesy dance moves and the heightened emotions of teenagerhood, drama and comedy unfold in this dynamic and fast-paced piece.
Shoobs is directed by Open Sky’s creative director Lisle Turner and results from a collaboration with writer, director and lead actor Janet Etuk. Open Sky is an Arts Council England, National Portfolio Organisation making theatre, film and digital theatre. They are uniquely placed to support theatre professionals transitioning into screen work.
Shoobs; Sunday 23rd March 2025
BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XT